Sectarian Violence Continued: Shias in Pakistan targeted again

Part-1

-Ajoy Roy 

 Sectarian violence against Shias in Pakistan continues. After violent suicidal bomb attacks in a Shiaite Mosque in several months ago, once again according to police source suspected suicidal bomb exploded in Shia Mosque on Friday (1st October) during Jumma prayer while hundreds of Musullis (devotees) were offering the namaj. This time the place of occurrence is Shialkot, an eastern Pakistani city. The incident bears a very close similarity with the Karachi incident. At least 25 persons were killed on the spot and seriously wounded numbering not less than a hundred. The police said that bomb(s) was transplanted within a briefcase placed at the central place of the big prayer hall of the mosque known as Abdullah Imambarah mosque. The blast created chaos confusion and panic among the devotees. Wounded as well dead bodies were found scattered with torn pieces of fleshes. The central place of the hall became a pool of blood. The dead and wounded were rushed to the nearby hospitals. 

 

According an eyewitness Hamid Naqvi attending the prayer who was admitted at the Allamah Iqbal hospital said, according to AFP agency, “ We were hearing the Khutba when suddenly there was a big bang. There was panic and there was blood and screams all around.”    

 

Police said that there was yet another un-blasted bomb near the central place which was safely carried away by them. As usual angry and violent protests followed from the Shias which spread also to Karachi and other cities in Pakistan. The information minister reacted saying that this could be a possible reaction to the killing of a leading Al Qaeda named Amjad Faruqui at the hands of Pakistani Security forces. The minister opined, “It is an act of terrorism aimed at destabilizing the country.” – a typical statement of a politician. Even a child can say that it is an act terrorism and violence, not an act of peace & love. The president Musharraff also issued a routine statement condemning the event. I said the incident bears a close similarity with that of bomb blast at a Karachi Shia mosque. On that occasion President Pervez uttered that the act of violence inside the mosque was a ‘heinous act of terrorism’ followed by an order of inquiry (as usual). This time President Pervez Musharraf said the attack “clearly shows that terrorists have no religion and are enemies of the mankind.”

 

A great discovery indeed on the part of the President, but alas a late realization! Where you had been Mr. President when you and your Pakistani military and your ASI were training the talebenas militarily and your mullahs were brainwashing the so-called soldiers of Islam in the form of Talebans with the doctrines of Islamic fundamentalism, communalism and worst kind of terrorism in the name of jihad. You knew very well Mr. President that fundamentalist political parties of Pakistan, including Jamat e Islami and jihadis are out to make Pakistan a Sunni brand of theocratic state. They are not satisfied with Moslem league or PPP brand of Islamic republic. They want to make Pakistan a purely monolithic Sunni brand of Talebani State. They have finished or subdued religious minorities like Hindus Christians and then Ahmediyas. They are now determined to wipe out next religious minority sect within Islam, the Shias. The fundamentalists have eliminated secularists among the Muslims from the political and cultural life of Pakistan. Unless Pakistan nourishes secular forces and democratic institutions, the Islamic Fundamentalism will crush Pakistan; its future is very dark. First step on the part of the President would, a very difficult task indeed, to free Pakistan from military control, because Pakistani military is the root of all fundamentalism. This very institution is synonymous with fundamentalism, Islamic dogma and blind communalism. If Military could be democratized and secularized 90 % of Pakistan would be over. The Pakistani fundamentalists heavily depend on their support, and indeed they get it through their various local and non-local agencies, be in Afghanistan, or in India held Kashmir or in Bangladesh.

 

Remember Pakistan has wiped out its Hindu population long before, Christians have been subdued, Ahmedias declared non muslim and has been wiped out from social, cultural and political life of Pakistan. The only threat that exists in Pakistan to make Pakistan a Talebani form of Islamic State by the fundamentalists is the Shiah community which constitute about 20% of the population in Pakistan. Compare this figure with the non-Muslim population in BD where it constitutes 10-15%. So BD’s Islamic forces main target is the non-Muslim minority. Thus fight is similar both in BD and Pakistan, only targets are different. Jihadis in both countries are following similar paths; only in BD minorities are exposed to sterner treatment.

 

The fight in BD is between secularists-liberal democrats-socialists Vs Islamic fundamentalists of all variants and BNP brand communalists. Are we aware of the situation !      

 

See also: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/3706506.stm

  Go to Part-2

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